[Lion] X [Willow] Thread [Shade]

[Twineheart]

Tags: Ambrose
Muse: Great^^
OOC: My mind failed me with the title D:
Words: 327

With the blistering arrival of leaf-bare came the cold and wet unpleasantries of snow. It fell from the gloomy grey sky in giant clumps, each snowflake larger than the last intent upon burying Leafclan and all those within. but just because the weather was formidable didn't mean business wasn't going on as normal. No like every other day in Leafclan, the warriors of the birch tree forest were out braving the cold in order to provide much needed nourishment. Leaf-bare had only just begun so the cats of the clan were just starting to feel the creeping hunger which always reared its ugly head in the cold leaf-bare months. but this fact would not deter the warriors, especially one tom cat in particular.

Liontuft was out in the storm. He despised the cold with a burning passion but it didn't mean he'd allow it to stop him from serving his clan. No, the scruffy orange tabby could be found tromping through the snow a little ways from camp. His pale leaf green eyes narrowed against the flurries which blew up into his face whenever the wind started. His narrow shoulders hunched up in an attempt to barrel through both the snow and the wind. The wind only made things worse, howling through the trees and causing the snow to swirl in a blinding manner. Liontuft could barely feel his paws or nose for that matter. Icicles clinging to his whiskers as he moved on, jaws parted in a vein attempt to find prey, any prey at all. but his search seemed fruitless, no prey seemed hungry enough to fight the cold. No only he seemed willing to fight the cold, and even his resolve was waning. Stupid leaf-bare, he thought in disgust shivering beneath a layer of snow that clung to his fur before melting and making him even colder than before.

[Ambrose]

It was so magical outside.
Spiraling snowflakes descended like cats from StarClan, but they weren't quite as warm. With them came the promise of death and suffering.
More like cats from the Dark Forest.
The snowflakes were beautiful, but the suffering that wasn't far away wasn't. The flakes were destroyers; though magical, as previously thought, kits would die, and elders would pass away. Queens' milk would be scarce... and a few warriors would die, from being pure and loyal to their clan.
Willowbranch would, if necessary, be one of those cats.
but she wouldn't quite die that easily. Oh, no, she'd search for food.

That was what she was doing.

A chilly gust ruffled her short fur. Ahh, her short fur; a great relief in greenleaf, but a tragedy in leafbare.
She would not digress, however, and parted her jaws in a hopeless attempt to find nourishment.

She would probably find it, but not in the food sort of way. Far more emotional.

She found prey, but only a measly rabbit. Stalking it, a terrible wind blew, but her focus remained on the rabbit. Hunting was her forte. Leaping forward, she slammed both her forepaws, claws unsheathed, onto the rabbit.
Thud. That was all that happened in the little rabbit's head. Picking it up in her small jaws, she turned around, and had just started trotting away, when she noticed a ginger, scruffy cat. She was never really good with names, though she had seen this cat before. Lion- something. Lionbush? No. Lionface? No. Lionfur? Something like that... Liontuft! 
"Liontuft! Hey!" she cried, and ran over to him. 

[Twineheart]

Tags: Ambrose
Muse: Good
OOC: Great!
Words: 233

At first Liontuft thought that Willowbranch's voice had just been the wind howling. but then out of the swirling mess of snowflakes appeared a patched brown and white she-cat, and he realized she had called his name. Squinting in an attempt to discern who this cat was, Liontuft's often serious pale gaze recognizes the petite form of Willowbranch. She carried a small rabbit, though it looked large in her small jaws. " Willowbranch!" He calls out pushing his way forward so they could speak over the howling winds. Once closer he pauses, having to lean over in order to speak to the much smaller she-cat. " Glad you've had better luck than me." He comments, his scruffy white tail flicking to her rabbit. " This freaking snow has sent most of the prey so deep in the ground only voles could find it." He comments in his firm raspy voice. His disgust for the snow apparent in his voice. " How long have you been out here?" He inquires. " I've been out since dawn." He shakes his head. " Might as well of stayed in my den, all the luck its done me." He huffs, breath swirling the snowflakes before him through the air. Meanwhile, his paws were becoming numb as he stood in one place. Shifting them restlessly he awaits Willowbranch's words ears perked to hear over the wind. 

[Ambrose]

ooc: Even though we created this before she was deputy, should we rp it as after the ceremony or not?


ic:
He seemed oblivious to her existence, until she caught up with him. At least he wasn't ignoring her.
"I was very lucky to get the rabbit. Everything should be inside in this tempest, but you gotta do what you gotta do for the Clan." She tried not to shout, but it was impossible not to. At least, if you wanted to be heard. "The snow is graceful, isn't it? but it's an awful nuisance. Not much good at all. She continued strolling with him, hoping to find some prey in the storm, as unrealistic as her hope was. Her mind was starting to wander, thinking about the poor queens and kits.
"How long have you been out here?" asked Liontuft. She didn't really know, so she said what on her mind. "Too long," A frosty leaf, as scarce was its existence, slapped her in the face. She drew it off with her front right paw. "See what I mean?"

A very, very foolish, fat, juicy-looking blackbird flew down to her right, about 5 taillengths away. "Who'll hunt it? Me or you?"

[Twineheart]

Tags: Ambrose
Muse: Good^^
OOC: Sorry for the wait!
Words: 390

Glad to continue forward, Liontuft strains to hear the petite feline beside him. If it hadn't been for her yelling he wouldn't of heard her at all. His fuzzy ears flicker some and he nods a little at her words. Very lucky indeed, he thought a little bitterly. He was not the best hunter, a sore point for the tom when leaf-bare came around. It made him feel inadequate for his clan, not that he would ever admit that to anyone. No he just pushed on and did his best to provide what he could during the colder moons. At the last part of her sentence he snorts, his scruffy white tail tip thrashing behind him. " I'm not sure this...." He gestures to the the snow whipping them in the face. " Can be considered graceful." He remarks having never been a fan of the snow. but he knew some cats found beauty in its deadly white flakes. but he was not one of them. At her next words he grimaces, his pale green eyes flicking over the she-cat's short pelt and small size. How had she not frozen solid already he didn't know. " We probably should....." He starts to say head back but his words falter when a leaf is blown right into Willowbranch's face. Under different circumstances this might of been slightly amusing but as he was freezing and hungry it brought no amusement.

but then when he thought he couldn't stand it anymore their luck turned. A dimwitted blackbird flew down ahead probably unable to spot them in the swirling vortex of snow around them. " I've got it." He says immediately moving forward with a sharp flick of his tail. Determined not to go back to camp empty jawed. He crouches some his lanky form hunkering down int he snow as he creeps forward. He was pretty sure the bird couldn't see him but he played it safe. He couldn't afford to be sloppy not now. Pausing about a tail length away Liontuft pounces, his long limbs sending him soaring through the air effortlessly. He collides with the bird, knocking it to the snow covered ground below and killing it with a swift bite. It didn't take much since the bird was so weak from hunger itself.

[Ambrose]

OOC: Tiny little powerplay, I should have given him time to move when she fell, but it might help them start off something ;3
IC:
Snow kept getting in her eyes. She strained to see the tom beside her. "You're right, it's not, actually. Forget it." she apologized, blushing at how silly she was.
After the leaf attempted assault on her face, she wished he would have laughed. She didn't find it very funny; freezing cold natural matter being thrown by an invisible beast at her face. Most undesirable. but she would have been happy if he laughed to lighten the situation, though how could he? He was probably frozen out of his wit.

Fools could bring joy, and maybe save an entire Clan. A very foolish sounding statement, but so true in the context of this foolish bird. Liontuft would, hopefully, seize this joy and feed the cats of LeafClan. She knew that hunting wasn't his best skill. Good, good.
And he soared through the air, as if the angry storm had passed and was replaced with a gentle greenleaf breeze. She watched him destroy its foolish life. All gone because of a mistake.
"What a bird, Liontuft! Amazing! Though we can't really bury it, with the ice and all... I think that's good, though, for a lot of cats. Let's bring it back." She turned and started walking. He's really good at hunting... she thought. Walking was not a tough task for many, nor was it one for Willowbranch, but she tripped on a branch and fell over sideways into Liontuft. She blushed and looked at him, her eyes blinking with sorrow. "Um, sorry." she murmured, smiling awkwardly at him.

[Twineheart]

Tags: Ambrose
Muse: Ok
OOC: Haha no problem! :3
Words: 309

Triumph floods Liontuft's body, as he stands now with the limp black bird at his paws. After a long bitterly cold morning spent catching nothing it felt encouraging to finally have prey to bring back to camp. It might be a tad scrawny, but what leaf-bare prey wasn't scrawny? His normally serious leaf green gaze, has a certain shine to it as he turns to Willowbranch. His ears perking at her words, he allows a smile to flicker across his maw. " Thanks." He says scruffy white tail tip soaring through the air. Then at the rest of her words he nods his head some. " Yeah might as well. No point in freezing our tails off anymore than need be." he says. He didn't want to go back to camp with a single piece of prey but it seemed that the fates were against him. So with a inaudible sigh he leans his head down and scoops the blackbird up into his jaws, turning to follow after Willowbranch his lanky frame dwarfing her petite one as they walked.
A few paw steps forward and Liontuft found the small she-cat toppling sideways into his shoulder. Surprised he blinks his pale gaze, glad his paws were planted firmly in snow so he didn't fall also. His tail comes around almost automatically in an attempt to balance Willowbranch, his ears catching her muttered apology. " Uh... It's alright..." He mumbles back around his prey. Having been a little surprised at how soft the she-cat's pelt was and how warm she'd felt brushing up against him. And without really realizing it the tom found himself trotting closer to Willowbranch than he had been before. His pale green eyes occasionally shifting sideways to look down at the she-cat and assure she wouldn't be tripping anymore.